Left to right:SweetWater 420 Pale Ale, SweetWater Georgia Brown, Clipper City Oxford Class Organic Amber Ale, Clipper City Heavy Seas Red Sky at Night, a very happy mug
Over the weekend I hung out with my sister and her boyfriend and played some Rock Band at their house. My sister and I took turns truly mangling the vocals to "Dead or Alive" (Bon Jovi, wooo) and "Rockaway Beach" (Ramones, wooo) which in turn was only really possible because we'd been drinking some great beer courtesy of the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club. I signed her boyfriend up for the club for his birthday a few months ago, and this was his second batch of frothy goodness.
Each month you get three bottles each of four different beers that range from heady IPAs to thick stouts to tangy wheat ales. Generally, the beers they select are extremely small batch stuff, but some slightly larger names creep in occasionally.
Hit the jump to see the ones we tried...
You can find a detailed explanation of each beer on BOTM's featured beers page, so I won't go into extremely descriptions of each. A quick rundown of the tastes of what I tried: SweetWater I've had before in Georgia (one of those larger names in the BOTM selections). The 420 Pale Ale, aside from being oh-so-cleverly named, is smooth and fairly refreshing, making it a good IPA for people who might not ordinarily like the strong taste of hop-filled IPAs. The Red Sky I didn't care for - but I'm not really into sour Belgian ales that taste of (I quote) "horsehair, grass, and earth." If you like those ultra-tart wheats like Shock Top or Leinenkugel's, you will probably like this one too. Lastly, the Oxford Organic. This one gave me one of those inflated senses of self-worth you get when you ask for something Organic. Like, here I am, doing my part by getting drunk -- I'm such a progressive and interesting person! Kidding aside, this one was good as well; light and very toasty, with a definite chocolate aroma (minus the syrupy texture that flavor usually accompanies).
But should you join the club? Well, along with your beers you get a printed newsletter that is pretty well-written and descriptive, which is nice. At the price of $31 per month, this is not a cheap 12-pack, but if you're into trying new beers out and you're not the type to scour the internet and order for yourself, then this is a good way to get introduced to some new friends. And it definitely pairs well with Rock Band.
-- John Linn
